Throughout their lives, there has only been one constant, War. What happens now that the Great War is over? Based in the G1 Universe - Featuring Soundwave and his unique outlook on life. Chapter 7 is up, thanks for the reviews and for your patience!

Soundwave walked outside the clinic and kept walking past Starscream, who had gotten up from his seat to greet him. Starscream found himself hitting what could only be described as a wall of thought. As Soundwave stormed past him, an invisible wave knocked him back a few steps.

Starscream didn't follow him, instead he stood there amazed.

"I've never seen Soundwave pissed off before" He thought to himself smirking slightly. "I've seen him annoyed, but never mad. I've also never seen him and Megatron have a fight before which is the ONLY reason Soundwave could be so mad."

Starscream went back and sat down on the bench outside the clinic. "I remember I always wanted them to fight, it was infuriating how well those two got along. And it wasn't fair, I was the Second in Command, I should have been the one whom Megatron confided in, not Soundwave." He shook his head. "Like anyone would confide in me after the way I acted during the war. I was the biggest jerk that war had ever seen." Starscream looked around and sighed. "When the war ended, it was like blinders were removed from my brain. I feel different now. I feel better. I don't know who I was back then besides a small minded, egotistical, power hungry CHILD. Now, I'm ME again" He bowed his head. "Just older and hopefully wiser."

Starscream looked in the direction that Soundwave walked away.

"Hmmm," he said out loud, "he doesn't appear to be coming back... maybe I should." A chill ran down his spine. "No.." He thought to himself, "I don't know if I can do that."

He stood up, "I haven't seen Megatron since he disbanded the army. I don't even know if he'd even WANT to see me."

Starscream kicked the bench he had been sitting on. "COME ON YOU IDIOT!" He yelled out loud, "stop being a coward for once in your life!"

He walked into the clinic boldly and hammered his hand down on the counter, "I want to see Megatron NOW!"

Red Alert looked up at Starscream trying not to frown, "OK, you can go right in," he answered dryly, "you don't need to punch anything or anyone to do so." The doors slid open, "just go left down through a set of doors, it will be the second door on your left."

"Fine! Thank you." Starscream walked through the doors and down the hallway. He read the names on the rooms and found himself smirking thinking to himself. "I know the war's over but I can't help but feel a ting of satisfaction knowing all these Autobots are in there." He smirked again. "I guess part of me will always be a selfish bastard."

He continued down the hall and came to the door he was looking for. Starscream hesitated for a moment, then shook his head clear of doubts. "If I don't do this now, I'll never do it." He swiftly went through the door and came face to face with Megatron. The second door to the room was the only thing separating the two former Decepticon leaders.

Megatron appeared to be as shocked as Starscream.

"Hello Megatron" Starscream said quickly for the same reason he came into the room so fast. He knew he'd loose the courage to say anything if he waited.

Starscream felt a surge of emotion, a familiar one he hadn't felt since the war, jealousy.

"That's a fine thing to say to me after I finally get the guts to come in here and face you." Starscream blurted out angrily. "You certainly haven't changed have you!"

Megatron took a step back in shock. "That's not what I meant Starscream."

"Yeah?!" Starscream couldn't control himself, "It was always about Soundwave wasn't it?! I was your second in command. I was the one you should have confided in, but NO! You chose a communications expert over me to talk to... wait, a communications expert to talk to, that destroys my argument. Shit."

He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"Starscream" Megatron opened the door. "You can come in the room." He walked away as he spoke, avoiding the seekers optics. Starscream followed him in and looked around.

"Nice place you have here." Was all he could think of saying.

"Very amusing Starscream, and you say that "I" haven't changed." Megatron sat down at the table again, his shoulders slumped forward, his head hanging.

Starscream looked more closely at Megatron. Thousands of observations were running through his head. He decided to pick the one most important observation and put it into words.

"You look defeated Megatron." Starscream walked over and sat down as well. "You look as if you are a prisoner here. You optics are dim, you armor is dull. You are too young to look the way you do."

"Do you KNOW how old I am?"

"I know, I know. You're probably the oldest Decepticon I know, but you're not that old."he paused, "I do know you're old enough to be MY creator..." Starscream smirked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Respect?" Starscream leaned his arms onto the table and looked right towards Megatron. "Respect should be earned, that's what you always taught me." He took a breath, and looked again at Megatron.

"I haven't seen you since the war ended and I really thought I had moved on, but seeing you again, sheesh, I guess I have a lot on my mind still." Starscream shook his head

"Then speak." Megatron said looking away again, another shadow crossed his face. The words sounded more like a command than a request which made Starscream smirk for a moment. He closed his optics and took a deep breath. He had a lot to say and now was the time to say it.

"When I came to the Decepticons, I was a scientist and I was damn good at being a scientist, but I was also a very talented seeker, the best there was actually. And I also craved power. When I met you, the mighty warlord Megatron, I wanted to do everything I could to be noticed by you, did you know that?"

Megatron looked away "yes Starscream, I knew that."

"Thank you for answering truthfully, that means a lot. And I know I wasn't the only one. There were hordes of young Decepticon's that were vying for your attention. And I WON'T even mention all the young FEMALES..."

Megatron smiled.

"Oh yes," Starscream smiled as well. "I remember attempting to find some companionship back then, but OH NO, it wasn't ME they were looking for. Who the hell was I but some punk seeker, attractive yes, but powerful... no. Not yet at least." He frowned. "Everyone wanted you or to be like you."

They made optic contact again.

"When you picked me to be your air commander, it was the proudest moment of my life." he sighed and continued. "Then you and I got to know each other better, and that's when things started to go downhill."

"When I first started out with you, I had no intention of ever overthrowing you. I was quite happy being one of the top guns. But as the years went by, I kept noticing that while others would receive praise for their efforts, ESPECIALLY Soundwave, I was rarely given a word of encouragement." He paused again. " That changed me so deeply as a person, you have no idea. I had no idea until the war ended and I had to find out who I really was all over again."

He looked at Megatron. "Am I boring you yet."

Megatron's gaze sharpened. "I am not the cold-hearted warlord that you think I am Starscream. As a leader, you have to stay emotionally detached from your troops. You no longer one of my troops, or are you forgetting? You are obviously telling me something that you've wanted to share for a long time. For that reason, you have my undivided attention."

Starscream paused before continuing. Megatron's optics had glowed crimson when he spoke. To Starscream, that meant he was passionate about the words, and telling the truth.

"You have changed"

"Ofcourse I have." Megatron shot back. " So have you. I've never heard to speak anything but insults and boasts. And now you're pouring out your soul to me?"

"I deserved that." Starscream sat back. "I was a prick, I know it. While I mostly have myself to blame for my behaviour, you sure helped me along."

"How?!"

"BECAUSE!" Starscream stood up, "You held me up to impossible standards. Nothing I ever did was good enough for the Mighty Megatron. If I screwed up, instead of coaching me on how to fix the mistake, you threatened to take my position away AND my life on several occasions as well!! I started hating you and looking down at you. I thought if I was leader of the Decepticons, I would do a better job than you any day. So I started mouthing off to you, making YOU the idiot in front of the troops instead of me all the time."

"You could never have led the Decepticon's Starscream."

"You know what, I know that now, I don't need you to tell me that." Starscream tried not to sound angry, but the words, even though they were truthful, still hurt. " I can handle the leadership role in smaller groups, but something as big as the Decepticon Army, I couldn't have done it. But at the time, I really thought I could have done a better job than you."

"It was very hard to do." Megatron said quietly. "Sometimes, I don't know how I got through it day by day."

"Honestly, I don't know how you did it." He took a deep breath, "Listen, Megatron, I went off topic there. What I was trying to say is, when I look back, I know I didn't handle some situations in the best way and now that I can look back and reflect, I just wanted to say that..." he paused and cleared his throat, "You were a great leader, maybe not to me specifically, but to everyone else. You kept the army together, you kept everyone believing in the Decepticon cause. I don't think there is or was a Decepticon alive that could have done a better job."

The two of them sat in silence. Starscream noticed that Megatron did not even look up at him when he had finished speaking. Oh to be Soundwave right now and be able to peek into Megatron's mind. Was it too late for Starscream to say these words? Was Megatron too far gone? He just didn't know, he just watched his former leader sit there, and stare at a distant point in the wall.